We had the opportunity to speak to some of the chefs, check out some of the festival merchandise, and of course — taste a few 2013 Epcot Food and Wine dishes that we haven’t seen yet!

Today, we are happy to bring you a few more details from the event and share some of the pictures that we were able to capture. And stay tuned later in the article for details on new Epcot Food and Wine Festival merchandise (including this year’s cookbook!), find out what the heck that Vegetarian Haggis is going to be like, get gluten-free updates, and more!

Sneak Peek at Some NEW 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Booth Items

We began with a Griddled Lobster Tail with Garlic Herb Butter from the Hops & Barley Booth. The fresh lobster tails will be fully cooked within the marketplace booths, so guests will have the full experience of savoring the rich aroma as they’re grilled.

Griddled Lobster Tail with Garlic Herb Butter

I found the tail to be a good size, perfect for a small appetizer. And the Garlic Herb Butter enhanced the lobster’s flavor.

Another fun addition will be the Orange Dole Whip at Refreshment Port. The orange-flavored soft serve will be available by itself, or you can add Creme de Cacao White for a grown up creamsicle!

There are also some delightful dishes that have been adapted into new Scottish classics, like the Banoffee Tart. Originally an English invention, this dessert is given a touch of Scottish flair with the addition of Scottish Whiskey Toffee!

While we are looking forward to trying it on opening day at the Festival, we’re excited to try this version, adapted for the home kitchen.

The Scottish Banoffee Tart from the Scotland Booth at the 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

As always, the culinary team at Epcot is striving to keep this classic event fresh and exciting by introducing some brand new Marketplace Booths to the mix. New for 2013 is another entry from the United Kingdom, the Scotland Marketplace Booth! And after a year long hiatus we’re also excited to see a return of another South American hotspot, the Brazil Marketplace Booth!

Let’s take a closer look at what these two marketplaces will offer this year’s festival guests.

Scotland Marketplace Booth

While we are still awaiting our first pictures of what the Scotland Marketplace Booth will actually look like (soon!), we are excited already to know some of the fun additions that the menu will bring to this year’s festival.

And check out the new stamp from the Scotland booth that guests will be able to get in their Food and Wine Festival passports! (It’s in the bottom right hand corner of the slide.)

In 2012, the lounge was located in Festival Center. This year, it will change locations to the America Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase.

We also have some MORE exciting news for Chase Disney Visa Card Members at the end of this article, so read through to get all of the important updates!

The Chase Lounge at the 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

The America Pavilion, which is central to World Showcase, provides a great midway point for stopping and resting during a trip around the World.

The lounge will be located on the third floor of the pavilion building. Guests can use the elevator located between the attraction and the gift shop. Just show your Chase Card, and you’re in!(Note: The Chase VIP Lounge is available to all Chase Cardmembers.)

In honor of our grand launch, we have a discount option for DFB readers (as always!). You can get the new mini-guide for $3 off the regular purchase price for a limited time — just use code CHEFS at the check-out!

The DFB Guide to the 2013 Epcot Food & Wine Festival e-Book

The DFB Mini-Guide to the 2013 Epcot Food & Wine Festival e-Book features all the info you need to know before you attend the Food and Wine Festival this year, from what’s NEW this year to touring strategies and a brand new FAQ section.

And with the Epcot Food & Wine festival rapidly approaching, the time is now! Booking for festival events opens August 13th at 7AM ET, and our exclusive daily schedule of events is the most efficient way to plan your festival strategy.(Did you purchase a pre-order of the DFB Guide to the 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival and not receive your book? Let us know at Support@DFBGuide.com!)

With a detailed schedule of seminars and events for every single day of the festival, it’s a quick, easy way to decide what activities and events you want to book! Don’t waste time flipping between web pages, PDFs, and websites — just find the date you need and we’ve got it all right there in front of you. Just like that!

Find Everything That's Going On During Your Visit in our FULL Daily Schedule of Events!

As always, we’ve made this mini-guide instantly downloadable for your convenience, and easily installed on your mobile devices. It’s a PDF guide with [Read more…]

Seminars and demos are priced between $14-15 this year, and feature chefs and beverage companies that are at the top of their game. Check the details to find your favorites, like Warren Brown, Robert Irvine, and more!

We got our first look at festival artwork at the recent Food and Wine Festival preview, and people are already talking about how much they love it! I adore how they’ve worked World Showcase landmarks into the colorful art.

2013 Food and Wine Festival Art Work

Today, we’re psyched to share with you some of the 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival artwork and other merchandise that will be featured during this year’s event!

2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Signature Artwork

This year’s signature artwork is quite a departure from last year’s more photojournalistic style. In 2013, the mood has turned whimsical, and the familiar motif of this year’s festival decor turns up in the background, but in a softer pastel palette.

2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Poster

Look closely, and you’ll even spy Remy from Ratatouille perched in the top of the bumbling chef’s toque!

Other Epcot Food and Wine Festival Merchandise: Figurines, Pins, Vinylmation, and More

The chef is also the star of a new 7-inch bobble figurine, made extra awesome because he’s balancing on top of Spaceship Earth!

Bobble Chef Figurine

Disney artists have also created new character artwork with Mickey, Goofy, and Donald in chef whites. The character pieces are reminiscent of similar vintage-inspired pieces that we’ve spied in the Italy pavilion.

We can’t wait to see all the cool ways these three will be featured!

Chefs Mickey, Donald, and Goofy will Turn Up at This Year's Festival

The merchandise team has come up with a great line up of must-haves for the 2013 festival. The bumbling chef turns up on [Read more…]